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Stuffed Peppers – Speca të Mbushura

Stuffed peppers or Speca te mbushura in Albanian, are simple to make and tastes great! One of my families favourite meals.

What you will need:

2 cups Jasmin or basmati rice

1 bunch of each fresh parsley and dill if desired, remove stems

8-10 bell or shepherds peppers

2 tbsp dried mint

1 tsp paprika

1 small onion

salt and pepper

1/2 lb lean ground beef

680ml tomato sauce*

use the tomato sauce can to measure the water, you will need 1 full can and a 1/2 (season with salt)*

Cook ground beef with spoon break up till becomes small crumbles. Its easier to crumble with a masher. If your using it raw in the rice then skip this part and just add the meat to the rice and mix into it with your hands till well combined.

Meanwhile saute onion till tender in olive oil, add rice and then mix in the paprika and seasonings, continue to pan fry for a few minutes.

Cut tops off of peppers. Pierce peppers with a knife about 3-4 places, so that the liquid can get into the rice for even cooking.

Stuff the peppers with filling. Top with water and sauce,and drizzle with olive oil, bake covered at 375 till rice is cooked takes about 1 hour maybe more, just check on it.

If your using bell peppers you can cook them stove top.

Tip: If you like you can add a slice of tomato to close in the filling or use the stem.

*season the water with salt* your in control of the salt! Keep in mind that you added salt to the rice mixture!

If you want you can make it vegetarian by not adding the meat.

*You can use water if you like instead of tomato sauce ( I make it both ways and it turns out great either way), for 2 cups of rice you need 3 and 1/2 to 4 cups water, season with salt and add 1/4 cup olive oil and a pinch of paprika for colour, or you can combine a few teaspoons of tomato paste with the water, remember to season with salt.

Another version:

2 cups Jasmin or basmati rice

1 bunch of each fresh parsley and dill if desired, remove stems

8-10 bell or shepherds peppers

2 tbsp dried mint

1 small onion

salt and pepper

1 tomato

1/2 lb lean ground beef raw

olive oil

2 tbsp tomato paste

Rinse rice, chop parsley, dill, onion and tomato combine with rice season with salt and pepper, drizzle some olive oil. Add in raw ground beef and combine well, if you prefer you can cook and crumble ground beef. Taste mixture, and adjust seasoning. Stuff peppers and place in baking pan. In a cup stir in the tomato paste with water, for 2 cups rice you need 3 and half to 4 cups water, season with salt, keep in mind you already seasoned the rice filling. Drizzle some olive oil over and cover with foil wrap. Bake at 375 for an hour or until rice is cooked.